Pilot program uses drones to deliver time-sensitive goods; Canadian government lines up two new bilateral trade agreements; Labor rights causing supply chain disruption; Using social media to understand carrier usage.

When evaluating your needs for a transportation management system it’s important to look beyond technology and consider who will manage planning and execution. Use this advice to determine if a managed service provider will deliver greater value than developing an in-house team.

The cornerstone of collaborative logistics is timely visibility. Data about orders, inventory, transportation, and spend need to all funnel into a common denominator big data repository and be readily accessible.

As shippers evaluate existing, merged, or new 3PL providers, they should also be aware of their own processes and approach to vendor relationships and choose partners that best align with their strategies and needs.

Contract manufacturer Apex International had seen its growth halt as it struggled to deliver products on time and provide sufficient quality control. With the help of Simpler Consulting, Apex adopted Lean management principles to transform its culture and return the company to a path of growth.

Nutrabolt’s rapid growth created several logistics challenges, including processing orders efficiently and quickly; absorbing dramatic swings in order volumes to support promotional campaigns; and providing omni-channel fulfillment through a single warehouse. A third-party logistics partnership with Kane Is Able helped Nutrabolt meet these challenges.

Today’s supply chain environment is more complex than ever, and it is important for business partners to work together across the value chain with the intent to maximize the benefit to their customers .

A route planning systems can drastically reduce the time it takes to plan your transportation schedule. Other benefits include lower mileage and fuel usage, decreased carbon emissions, and increased customer service.

Technology is enabling an unprecedented level of transparency and communication to help shippers and their logistics providers understand each other's operations, and collaborate in ways that were much more difficult in the past.

Shipping freight plays a vital role in supply chain management, yet many shippers neglect to take control of their inbound shipments. Industry experts offer strategies for overcoming five common obstacles to successful inbound freight management.

Schwan’s Home Services optimized its distribution network by using a hybrid insourced/outsourced model; and Sun-Maid Growers of California used collaborative distribution to create better economies of scale in its transportation operations.

Leveraging IT, reconsidering warehouse processes, and conducting periodic network optimization projects are just three of many strategies that enable shippers to not only trim costs, but ensure that transportation spending supports overall business goals.

A well-oiled trading partner network allows one-to-many and many-to-many partners to collaborate and communicate using a single source of truth garnered from real-time information, writes Christopher P. Mazza of IAS.

As manufacturers strive to strike the perfect balance between parts delivered and parts consumed in production, technology innovations allow logistics providers to ensure companies receive only the parts they need when they need them, writes John Paugh of Carter Logistics.

If shippers use their third-party logistics partners for more than brokerage—not just as tactical providers, but as strategic partners—a whole new world of logistics excellence and accomplishments could open up, writes Inbound Logistics Publisher Keith Biondo.

Many companies, including Kimberly-Clark, Ebro, and USG Corporation, are moving beyond the traditional, transactional shipper-3PL relationship to form collaborative partnerships focused on mutual gain.

Electronics manufacturer Siemens switches from air freight to over-the-road transport for cross-border shipments from Mexico to the United States and Canada, cutting 35 percent from its transportation costs thanks to CFI Logistica.

When Wells-Gardner Electronics Corporation outsourced its import and export shipping to Geodis Wilson, it reaped numerous supply chain benefits, such as reduced shipping times and improved shipment visibility, as well as avoiding duty and taxes.

Automotive component supplier IAC needed better control, visibility, and reporting to help weld its supply chain into a cohesive unit. ProTrans delivered innovation and customized solutions designed to control costs along IAC’s network.

The use of new technology and tools—such as email, cellphones, and social media—allows shippers to stay involved, from order to final-mile delivery, no matter what the shipment, to create a superior customer service experience.

Distributor United Natural Foods Inc. worked with third-party logistics (3PL) provider Cardinal Logistics to consolidate from a multiple carrier network for its inbound logistics transportation to a dedicated contract carriage arrangement.

Colgate took more than four million miles out of its network while handling five percent more cases of product – and even managed to cut logistics costs, sharing the savings with customers and suppliers.

Most logistics outsourcers today use an RFQ to select their 3PLs. But that model is outdated and ineffective. A handful of forward-thinking shippers and logistics providers are instead embracing a collaborative outsourcing method, with powerful results.

Small and mid-sized manufacturers lack the scale to ship in full truckloads, creating thousands of separate, inefficient lines of supply—all moving to the same mass retailers. Collaborative distribution reduces the number of trucks on the road and cuts distribution costs.

Shippers shouldn't assume all on-time performance is created equal. Make sure every dollar you spend counts by choosing carriers who provide honest, accurate metrics, and foster innovation to improve your business.

Retailers publish routing guides to establish rules for manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors to follow when fulfilling and shipping orders. Here are the benefits of establishing a routing guide.

Transportation forecasts enable planners to shift from reacting to orders to proactively managing capacity. By synchronizing transport forecasts with manufacturing and distribution plans, your entire company can respond to the same demand signals.

To optimize transportation management into the supply chain, it's critical to integrate transportation management best practices, process management and people across the entire supply chain, writes Geoff Comrie of Transite Technology.